Unwell
by Chibi Girl and Anti Girly Girl
Summary: *pg-13 for violence. LAST CHAP. UP!* When Kurt Wagner lived in his beloved church home, who's to say he was the only one living there at one time...?
1. Chapter I: Unwell

A/N: This takes place after X-Men but somewhere before X-2. Yes, this has an OC, but this isn't one of the mushy-gooshy, fall-in-love in the first two chapters kind of thing. In fact not at all! *hears gasps throughout the room* Sure, friendship's involved, there's no story without it. Look, I'm saying this because I don't want someone coming up and whining about it. So don't complain, because if you don't like it you don't have to say anything, obviously enough. I'll take good, trying-to-help-on-story-cuz-I-got-something-wrong-about-someone criticism, or if I got something grammatically wrong, but that's it. I've seen that other stuff happen to too many other people and I won't have it! WAH! ANTI HAS SPOKEN! ANYWAY, *takes off caps lock when realizing it was on still* this is a song-per-chappie fic, so if you guys have any suggestions for songs then please let me know! ^_^ Okay, well, that's it for now.

Unwell

__

All day

staring at the ceiling making 

friends with shadows on my wall

All night 

hearing voices telling me

that I should get some sleep

because tomorrow might be good 

for something

Hold on

Feeling like I'm headed for a 

breakdown

and I don't know why

Kurt rolled over on the beam, his dark yellow eyes opening to the bright morning sun, the rays of golden light caressing the area softly to another day. Sitting up from out of the light, he gazed up, seeing the large, stain glass window placed above, the unique design capturing the dawn as if never wanting to let go. He got up from out of his handmade bed and grabbed his jacket, putting it on as he did everyday. Looking around off the beam to make sure no one was wandering about, he grabbed his bible to his side, hanging his two-toed feet off the edge and opening it up to continue where he left off from yesterday.

He didn't know how long it had been since he'd come here, but he could recall it had been awhile. Kurt, or Nightcrawler as he had been called in the circus, didn't go out much, (unless it was dark enough that no one 'normal' could see him). He liked it here, where he wouldn't be prosecuted as a demon or a freak or something, and all he would ever need is his bible, his faith, and a roof over his head to live. It didn't matter if he'd been here for a long time or stayed here for the rest of his life, it was home to him. 

Though lasting this long in peace, he sometimes wondered about the people who didn't have homes, who didn't have anything to believe in anymore. If only things had turned out differently for him, if he wasn't so odd to the majority of the world, then he would do something to help. Sometimes he really considered it, just walking out there and helping whoever he could find, but then realized that the person he was helping would only turn away and scream in fear, making their condition worse. Of course, who would ever accept a blue, pointy eared, sharp teethed, yellow-eyed, two-toed, three fingered fellow like himself? It was almost funny, and then he remembered it was himself he was referring to.

He sighed, his eyes becoming soar already. Somehow it was depressing, but he cheered up in knowing that it would all get better somehow. It always did...even if he had to wait for the afterlife in Heaven. Turning back to the Good Book, his ears perked up, hearing something in the silence of the church. When he thought it was nothing, he diverted his eyes back.

But there it was again. It was a quiet sob, ringing through his ears loud and clear when he locked onto what direction it was coming from. He stood up, tucking the cloth bookmarker inside the pages to keep track of his spot, and targeting near where he thought it was, (and where he recollected quickly of being before). Kurt disappeared from sight as if out of thin air and appeared someplace else, in fact several beams up were there was a slight stone ledge that had boards stretched from there to the thick, wooden bars. Those boards had been there long before he had ever arrived, letting him come up here sometimes to look out that same large, stain glass window he had seen before. But unlike before, he saw someone with their back against it, the person's head in their hands and crying. To what it appeared from where he was on the beam above the boarded floor, he could see it was a girl, with long black hair and a large hat adorning her head. She wore a long coat hat was ragged at the ends, having a dark red t-shirt and rigged jeans that were torn at the knees, but no shoes where he saw her bloodied feet. Her hands, even though mostly under her hat from the angle, were wearing brown, cutoff fingered, leather gloves, dark even though with the light as it was.

Stepping down slowly, she looked up hearing the thud of his feet, revealing the one eye she had with the rest of her wrapped face.

__

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell

I know right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be...me

I'm talking to myself in public

Dodging glances on the train

And I know,

I know they've all been talking about me

I can hear them whisper

And it makes me think there must be something wrong 

with me

Out of all the hours thinking

Somehow 

I've lost my mind

The girl slid across the boards, scrambling to get away in her state of fear. He didn't think it was because of what he looked like because the light hadn't hit him yet, but just for the fact that there was someone else there.

"Shh, no, no, I'm not going to hurt you! I vant to help! You are bleeding like crazy!" he said, trying to calm her down and staying out of the light to help.

The girl shook her head, ending up against another beam and holding out her hand, drenched in the color of red. "No...No, s-stay away from me! Please...I'll hurt you if you do!"

He stopped approaching, hearing it as not a threat but a warning as if she _could _do it, as if against her will in a way. Kurt held out his hands, enough so she could see the outline but still not in the light to frighten her. "But you need help. Your cuts...Zey will become infected if you do not treat zem-"

"Good!" she spat, but at herself. "Then let me die! Save the world a whole lot of fear!"

That was almost a low blow to his conscience. If she would not let him help, and yet there was something he could've done, there would probably be a hollow spot in his humanity for awhile after that. He sought the words she spoke to try and deter her from the decision she now had with her.

"Vhy vould zey be in fear?" he asked.

"Because I'm a freak, okay?! I have this whole history of things that I'd rather not talk about," she proclaimed.

"Zen vhy vere you crying just zen?"

She stared up at him, her one, ice-blue eye narrow in question. "Who _are_ you?"

He grinned, shrugging in the thought he might as well get it over with. If she screams and runs in fear, well, it's worth a shot to make her feel like she wasn't the only one. Kurt stepped out with his hands first, slowly emerging into the light of the sun to show his dark blue skin. Predicting that she would wince or scream or gasp in horror, she did nothing of the short, but only relaxed her gaze.

"You still haven't answered my question," she said. "Who are you?"

"My name...is Kurt Vagner, but in ze circus I vas known as ze great Nightcrawler!"

She nodded her head, tucking her chin to her side shoulder as she put her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "So...you had a home then?"

"Yes, I did," he answered, coming up to her and kneeling down. She peeked up once from when her eye was to the floor, but quickly flicked it back. "But now zis is my home. Who are you?"

She finally looked up at his smiling face, Kurt trying to be comforting. "I don't have a name. My parents didn't care to name me and the people who took me away just referred to me as 'You'. Call me whatever you want, I really don't care."

"Your parents didn't name you?" he asked. Even his adopted family had named him something, but this was strange to see a girl, no older than sixteen, go around with absolutely no name.

"Of course not," she stated with distain, shaking her head. "My parents disowned me after everyone else found out what I looked like, saying that I was 'unwell', in other words a freak, and that I had done something wrong and God was punishing me for it. They put me on the streets when I was only ten and..." she put a hand on her forehead, shaking her head. "Everyone just stares and turns away when I ask them for help..." She sniffed up the tears that were coming, laughing halfheartedly. "Why am I even telling you this? I just met you and I'm poring out my problems that you probably don't want to here. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve, huh?"

"Maybe you just needed to talk to someone."

"Yeah, maybe, but like everyone else you probably don't care. No one cares..."

"Well, if you like, I could listen. Surely I can help in some way."

"It probably won't but if you're really up to it then fine, whatever." She rested her chin on her knees, Kurt sitting back and thinking of the right question to start with.

__

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell

I know right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be

I've been talking in my sleep

Pretty soon they'll come to get me

Yeah, they're taking me away

"So, vhy did zey say you did something wrong?" he asked. He knew this would probably be the best question to start out with.

"I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was different. But the only excuse they gave was that God was punishing me, that he made me into the freak I am for something I did...But I was born like this, I was born a freak! I...I just don't understand..."

"God didn't punish you and you're not a freak," he replied, and her voice became tense after that.

"How do you know?! I mean, I'm...I'm..."

He put a hand on her shoulder, making her calm down. "You vere born like zis for a reason. Everyone has a purpose in life, it's just what you make of it that determines if your a freak or not. Yes, you're different, but that doesn't mean you're a freak of nature. If you vere a freak, then you'd probably be sick, demented, and evil."

She shook her head slowly. "You don't understand..."

"Don't understand? Look at me! I'm _blue_! I have _yellow eyes_! And I vas born like this."

That somehow made her perk up. "You mean...You're not just a mutant...like the rest of them?"

"The rest of them?"

"Everyone else. They didn't become different until they were older, but...you were born like you are?"

"Complete with four toes and six fingers!" he smiled.

"Oh...Then maybe...maybe you do know what I mean..." She looked like she smiled under the bandages on her face. "So it was not just me! But...you had a family..."

"Only because my family happened to come across me, pick me up, and decide to have me be in the circus vith them. See, these vere accepting people, which is wery scarce in a vorld like zis one. I'd vouldn't be talking now if it vasn't for zem, so maybe my purpose vas to help people, to help _you_, from doing something you vill regret."

She just gazed on, finding meaning in his words. Was it possible her life wasn't really how she saw it? That it could be something much better now that she knew her life wasn't worthless? She did not reply, but he continued on with another question.

"So vhy did people turn you down? Vhat did zey do? I mean, you look pretty normal to me, except for those bandages."

"I used to murmur things to myself without knowing...People would stare at me because of these bandages...That sort of thing." She laughed slightly, but he couldn't think of why, not finding the subject she was talking about funny at all. "I heard people saying that I was crazy for some reason. Why, I don't know, but someone eventually called the police on me for sitting at a bus stop reading the newspaper. A _newspaper_! What a joke! Yeah, well, they took me away when I was twelve and was handed over to this organization when they found out who, or rather, _what_ I was."

"How did you live on your how for so long?" he inquired.

"I worked at the fish mart as a pan cleaner after the fishes were gutted. Made pretty good minimum wage to get by with food for a week."

"How did you end up here?" he finally questioned.

"That...I'm not quite sure," she said honestly. "I remember meeting that one guy from the organization and then woke up on the steps of this place." She stood up suddenly, turning around to stare at all corners. "Nice place if you ask me. Too bad there's nothing like this in the city that's in good condition." She twisted back to him. "Well, I've burdened you enough with my problems, I really should get going. It's been nice talking to you though, I do feel better."

He stood up as she began to walk away, thinking he'd be friendly as well as nice. "If you don't have anywhere else to go zen you can stay here if you vant to. I don't mind."

She turned back, her one eye beaming with joy. "Really? I can stay?" He nodded. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I promise I'll help you out with anything you need!"

"Just don't break anything, that's all I ask."

"I won't! Thank you, Kurt!" She held out her hand, and he shook it in forgetting the blood that was on it. After hearing that slap of wet liquid and having it splatter on their sleeves, she pulled her hand away and her eye seemed to drop back into the same sorrow it had been a few minutes ago. She moved over to the corner of the ledge and the window and sat down in silence, as if in a daze. Kurt walked over to her, but she stopped him with her shaking voice.

"No, I'm alright. Please, just go about your normal, everyday business as if I wasn't even here..."

"But..." There was no use arguing. She had already turned over and her side, her forehead on the window with her one eye shut. If there was anything he could do, he had done it already. Maybe he could sneak back in a few hours when she was asleep and help seal those cuts and clean them if they hadn't gotten infection already. But for now, all he could do was wait. He sat down and the edge of the outer beam, pulling out his Bible and beginning to read, distracted in a way in his thoughts. It appeared there was more to this girl than she was telling, at least that was his theory. He wanted to keep a watch to make sure she would be okay, (and so that she wouldn't get away and possibly bleed to death), and because he wanted to know the truth. Maybe before he wouldn't have suspected it, but the moment she turned around before he did see a small, circular burn mark in the back of the bandages when her hair twirled away...

To what she had said he took careful thought, knowing that there might be fact in some of those awful things her parents had told her. Maybe they were _unwell_, at least to the normal human eye, but did that make them different in the eyes of those who were like them? Were born mutants unwell to other mutants? If people thought they weren't, or even if they were ill, who cared? They were still people...They were still _human_, and if only people would realize that it wasn't _what_ they were, but who they were. The thing that worried him most about this was that this girl, whatever her name may be, may get the wrong impression as some mutants did, that normal human's were the one's who were 'unwell'. And if that happened...

Well, he just hoped it didn't, but knew it was going to be a long time to get her to realize this...

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell

I know right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be

Yeah, how I used to be

How I used to be

Well, I'm just a little unwell

How I used to be

How I used to be

I'm just a little unwell

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A/N If you're confused, I'll wrap this up. The song kind of goes with what they feel inside, and partly what happened to the girl. Well, hoped you liked it, and if you didn't then just don't review. Save us all the time. But if you did please, do review, and please suggest a song! ^_^


	2. Chapter II: Trapped

A/N Oooooh, I get it, so it's Wagner, not Vagner, instead of the other way around...okay I get it. I thought it was one of the two! Sorry, won't happen again. Anyway, I don't own X-Men or the song Quasimodo by Lifehouse. I know probably none of you have heard of it before but if you have Kazaa or something you an look it up, right? I don't exactly have it myself so...And if you can't I am sorry, but just read the words and you'll get the picture...or at least I hope so. BUT WHATEVER! ^_____^ Anyway, thanks for reviewing the last chapter, hope you enjoy, and please review and _suggest a song_!

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Chapter II: Trapped

You can be right 

And I'll be real 

Oh, and it still won't be a pain 

That you will have to feel 

Cause I don't need your approval 

To find my worth 

I'm trapped inside of my own mind 

Afraid to open my eyes cause of what I'd find and I 

Don't wanna live like this anymore 

There goes my pain 

There goes my chains 

Did you see them falling 

Because this feeling 

There has no meaning 

There goes the world 

Off of my shoulders 

There goes the world 

Off of my back 

There it goes 

Kurt finally finished his chapter as the sun was setting again, book marking his spot and tucking it into his jacket pocket. The once bright window was now dull, a black figure still sitting there, curled up and not looking too well. Getting up, he quietly walked over and kneeled in front of her, slowly touching her kneecap to see if she was awake. She squirmed slightly, groggily opening her eye and rubbing it to get the sleep out. Sighing, she blinked, as if in disbelief.

"Oh, you're still here. And here I thought it was just some good dream..."

"No, you're still here," he smiled. He took one of her hands that was resting on her kneecap, looking at it to see if it was still bleeding. Luckily it wasn't because there was no wet blood, but she ripped it away before he got a chance to see if it had sealed up properly.

She stretched her arms up with a yawn, slapping her hands back down on her knees as she looked out the window again. He wondered why, for even if she was staring out one of the white pieces she still wouldn't be able to see very well. Maybe it was just to divert her eyes away to something else, because she still seemed a bit uneasy around him.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

"No, I just rested my eyes for awhile..."

"Zen vhy did you dream?" he grinned, and she nodded her head, gazing back at him in knowing she was caught.

"You're good at catching people when they lie," she pointed out

"Practice, especially vhen people told me I'd be taken to somevhere safe."

"Resettlement?" she questioned

"Yes, how did you-"

"Someone tried pulling that on me once," she laughed, "but I just punched them and ran as fast as I could."

"I still don't understand your sense of humor," he said honestly, and she shrugged.

"Different lives, I guess, so we find different things funny."

"But you find humor in pain," he stated.

She sighed, seeing this was getting nowhere. "Maybe I've had so much pain in my life that I finally find it funny."

"Don't you find anyzing else humorous?" he inquired.

She hesitated for a moment, smiling under those bandages one more time. "Not once have I found anything else comical..." That smile faded to a frown, her eyes beginning to become teary. "Everything I do is so...I mean, in my head, everything's fine, everything's always been fine until I finally open my eyes and see everyone hates me. Not once has anyone seen me as a good person, just a _thing_, a disease to the perfection of normal humans. All I've known is pain, and if I can't find humor in that...then all it will ever be is pain..." Her eye looked almost pleading, appearing that she would do something drastic if she didn't get any help and soon. "I don't want to live like this anymore, Kurt...I just couldn't take another cold stare...Another...Another time to be called 'it' or 'you' or worse...just by a number..."

He reached up a hand, putting it on her shoulder. "Zen vhy don't ze give you a name? How about Wictoria?"

"You mean Victoria?"

"Zat's vhat I said. Wictoria."

She chuckled, shaking her head. He grinned, pointed one of his three fingers. "See? You find humor in ozer zings if you vait. By ze vay, vat is so funny?"

"Your accent...Well, never mind"

"No, really, vas it somezing I said?"

She shook her head, finding it ironic he had just said that. "Like I said, never mind. It's...a _good_ German accent!"

"At least I make you laugh at somezing else besides your pain," he proclaimed, and she nodded, her one eye becoming soft.

Just as he had done twice before, she finally put a hand on his shoulder, nodding her head. "Thanks Kurt. You don't know how much this helps me."

"Vell, you are wery velcome, Wictoria," he said, trying to be serious but just having her giggle in the end.

She looked closer, moving her hand up onto his face, seeing the markings she had not noticed before. Narrowing her eye, she stared deep into his. "What are these?" she asked and he only paused, forgetting about the marks on his skin from the moment before.

__

Does it scare you that I can 

Be something different than you 

Would it make you feel 

More comfortable if I wasn't 

Well you can't control me 

And you can't take away from me who I am 

There goes my pain 

There goes my chains 

Did you see them falling 

Because this feeling 

There has no meaning 

There goes the world 

Off of my shoulders 

There goes the world 

Off of my back 

You can't change me 

You can't break me 

There goes the world 

Off of my shoulders 

There goes the world 

Off of my back

He pushed her hand away, staring at the floor as he spoke. "It is ze alphabet of ze angels."

"Did you do this yourself?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She hesitated to say something for a long while, Kurt wondering if this would make him seem more crazy than she was. Surely these markings were a good thing to him, but to a person who didn't understand it may seem strange. No, he was not ashamed of it, but he questioned whether it was a bad idea not to conceal his face at least. If she thought he was bizarre and could not be taken seriously, then his fear of her slipping back into her darkness would be a reality once more, and all would be for nothing.

But, as he had been contradicted before of her running off in fear, she only put her hand back on the side of his head, tracing it with her thumb. "They're beautiful," she said. "It must've taken you awhile to do them all, though."

"Yes, but it vas virth it."

She looked at him, feeling a bit odd for being so upfront and taking her hand away. Victoria, as her new name allowed her to be called, had never trusted anyone until then. It was crazy because she just met the guy maybe a few hours ago, and yet...something in his eyes told her he could be trusted. Yeah, they were dark yellow contrasted by the hint of dark blue around them, and sure, his smile was filled with razor sharp teeth, but they both gave off a word she had never really used before. It was just saying 'friend' to her, and that's all she needed to believe in. Luckily for him, that's what he wanted to be, and hoped he could help her through her problems like a friend should.

"So, Kurt, if you ever had to face a human, like a normal looking one, would you ever listen to the nasty stuff they say? Would you let them control you?"

"Of course not!" he said firmly. "Never in my life have I let someone take control and tell me what I should be! Vell, vith ze exception of my families rules in just living right..."

She nodded her head. "Yeah...Thought so..."

"Vhy? Has somezing happened to you before?" he asked.

"No, nothing," she said, but he could tell she was lying, leaning his head in with a grin to tell her he knew so. She sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, alright, maybe. Jeez...I guess I must've aroused some attention so these people started throwing tomatoes at me and I kinda...Let's just say I didn't cut my hair anymore. They probably thought it was weird that I didn't have any hair and my face was wrapped in bandages."

He gazed for a moment in thought, seeing how dirty her face was as well. "Vhy is your face in bandages? Do you have a bad burn of somezing?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said quickly, her eyes strict in _meaning_ she didn't want to talk about it, end of story.

"Alright...Is zere anyzing else you vant to talk about?"

Thinking for a moment with her eye diverted upward, she shook her head, shrugging. "No, I think that's it."

Kurt stood up, creaking the floor slightly as he did. He waved his hands that she could still sit when she was about to get up, telling her he'd be right back. All of the sudden she jumped when he disappeared, covering her mouth when she smelled something awful from the black cloud of smoke left behind. In a minute he returned with a bundle of clothes in his arm, setting them down in front of her so she could pick. As he kneeled down, he saw that she was still covering her nose, staring up at him and wanting an explanation.

"Oh, sorry about zat. It's ze smell of brimstone, or a least I've been told...Anyvay, I found some clothes in za church's charity bin. If you like, you can find some new zings to vear, seeing how yours are..umm..."

"Repulsive?" she filled in.

"Not exactly the vord I vas looking for, but yes, zat," he said, and she laughed.

"Thanks, Kurt, but you really didn't have to go through the trouble of getting me these things."

"Really, no need to zank me. Ze bin is just down zere, after all."

She smiled under her bandages, reaching forward and pinching the sides of his face gently. "You know what? The world needs more of you. A whole world of Kurt! Yeah, that sounds good."

He shook his head, chuckling. "No, I'm just doing my solemn duty as a human."

"Well, at least the world could think more like you..." She began picking through the different pairs of shirts, seeing how amazingly clean they were. "You know what they're planning out there? Making a law saying that mutants have to register! Can you believe that?"

"But vhy vould zey do zat?"

"I don't exactly know." She pointed a finger, her thought distracted for a moment as she picked out the shirt she wanted. "Maybe there afraid of us, of what some of us can do. There have been assassination attempts by mutants before. I think they called themselves the 'brotherhood' or something...But I only got that by eavesdropping on some fisherman so." She shrugged.

"Is zat so?" he said, sitting back in thought. "Maybe zat's vhy zey hate us...Because zey just can't understand it vas how ve vere born."

"I read in a newspaper that they think it's a condition, like a virus or something. It's probably just a cover up for their hidden agenda, though. It's like that old saying, what was it...? Oh yeah! People are afraid of what they don't understand, and so they just don't _want_ to except change."

"Yes, but vill zat ever change us?" he inquired, and she shook her head.

"Nope, and let's just see them try!" She dug under the pile to find a pair of sandals, luckily able to fit snuggly over her wrapped feet.

He had never realized this before, but any skin that should have been showing, including her hands, feet, face, and neck were all wrapped in dirty bandages, almost as if she were a mummy. Standing up, she tapped them on, saying all she would need was the one shirt and a pair of jeans that looked like they fit. Kurt, taking up the rest of the clothes, said he'd be five beams down and if she wanted she could get away from the musty top when she was done. Transporting away, he ended up in front of the bin, hopping the extra clothes in where they had been from the beginning. Hearing her cough, he knew he should be more careful next time and step farther away when he was near her. Going back up, he sat off the edge in waiting for a reply or an 'all clear' or something like that. Instead, he got stuck in another conversation.

"Say Kurt, since there's a church bin, do a lot of people come around here?"

"Yes, but zere's only one mass on Sunday and zat's usually ven people come by," he answered.

"Do the people who work here know you're here?" she asked.

"Of course! I vouldn't be staying here without zeir knowing."

"Then...they accept you...?" she inquired.

There was a long pause, both of them contemplating what she had just said, Victoria more of why she had said that just then. Kurt stared up, his gaze meeting the rotten boards above. "You know, some people don't mind mutants."

She didn't answer after that. Instead, all that could be heard was the creaks of her moving overhead, dust slowly sprinkling down because of it. In a moment, he saw half of her head peek from above, seemingly worried.

"Is zere a somzing vong, Wictoria?" he asked, and all she did was slowly keep emerging.

"Uh...I-I guess I should've mentioned this but...umm...I-I'm kind of a-afriad of...heights."

"Zen how did you get yourself stuck up zere?" he laughed.

"Quit it, alright! Like I said, I don't know. Just...I-I'll just s-stay up here..."

"Nonsense! I'll help you if you like."

She stared, raising an eyebrow. "And how do you propose you do that?"

He grinned, turning into a puff of smoke a moment later. Victoria blinked, backing up slowly in fear that she would fall. As she prepared to stand, something suddenly grabbed her waist, lifting her up and running to the ledge. She screamed in terror as she fell and held onto her hat tightly, her stomach feeling like it went to her feet as she came to a stop, being set to her feet. When Kurt let go, she dropped to her knees, holding her side with her one eye shut.

"_Kurt_! Don't ever do that's again! I-I _really_ do not like heights!"

"But look below you! You're only about ten feet up now!" he said, and she clicked her eye open, leaning forward to see he was right.

"Oh...W-well I guess it's not so bad..." she said, letting go and sitting up straight. However, even though her sign of sickness had past, there was a bit of disturbance on her face, like worry but not quite towards falling. He sat down next to her, hanging his feet off the edge and gazing to the smaller version of the stain glass window above the entrance door.

"Are you sure zere's nozing else you vant to talk about? You just don't seem vell to me," he said, and was thrown back when she smiled.

"One thing you have to understand, Kurt, is that I am _never_ well."

__

Have you ever felt 

Like your only comfort was your cage 

You're not alone 

I've felt the same as you 

Have you ever felt like your secrets give you away 

You're not alone 

I've been there too 

Cause everyone is looking 

Everyone is laughing 

But I think everyone feels the same 

Everybody wants to feel okay 

Everybody wants to 

Everybody wants to feel 

Victoria rubbed her hands together, dried blood cracking off and falling below their feet to the dusty ground floor. Kurt stared in question, wondering what she meant by that. She, of course, knew he was thinking of this, because everyone thought that very same question every time she asked it. So, knowing that he would keep staring or ask like everyone else did, she explained before he did either of those things.

"See, the thing is...I'm just not _like_ you. People understand you because your nice and probably haven't done anything to hurt anyone, as for me...There are things that I have done..." She trailed off in thought, her frustration getting the best of her. He said nothing for a minute, then smiled, trying to be comforting.

"It's alright. You can tell me," he said.

"No, no, it's best if you don't know," she stated, sliding away.

In this instant, it seemed like she was doing this unwillingly, as if in a trance of her thoughts. She went over to the nearest vertical beam, leaning against it and curling up. Victoria seemed cold in a way, even though it was approaching the month of December and was a bit nippy. However, she was cold from the inside, as if freezing to death from her own being. It was just so strange to him, for he never met a person who needed so much help and yet did not want it. She wanted to feel okay, but would not let anyone, including him, know what was so wrong. He had been the same as her once, lost and alone, but he had at least found faith. It was so saddening to see she had nothing, to be adrift without any hope and yet not wanting any to begin with. It wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on with her, though. She wanted to die, to be left alone for once and wallow in as much misery she had collected over the years without anything more and just leave. This was just something he could not let happen, especially with someone who had so much more to live for. But, on this day there was no more to discuss, so he got up and walked over to his handmade bed again, taking his jacket off and putting it to the side. Rolling over on his side, the church grew quietness in the fading sun outside, finally back to it's silence as it had that morning.

In the darkness of the night, Victoria woke up to a creaking sound coming from below. She sat up, gazing over to Kurt to see if he was still there. Indeed he was, snoring even in a deep sleep. She looked over the edge, seeing nothing from the light of the streetlamps outside. Sitting back, she heard the same creaking noise, becoming nervous. The boards squeaked as she made her way very slowly over to Kurt, wanting to wake him up but not to alarm anything if something else was around. But as a very loud snap echoed, she go up rapidly, trying to run over to him.

However, a hand came over her mouth, muffling her scream as her head fell forward, an acid feeling like nothing felt before burning into the back of her neck as she was thrown off the side...

__

There goes my pain 

There goes my chains 

Did you see them falling 

Because this feeling 

There has no meaning 

There goes the world 

Off of my shoulders 

There goes the world 

Off of my back 

Cause I don't want it 

I don't want it 

You can't change me 

You can't break me 

There goes the world 

Off of my shoulders 

There goes the world 

Off of my back 

There it goes 

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A/N Okay, not such an interesting chapter, but it will get better, believe me! I just couldn't think of anything else to go with the song... But not I have a whole list written up and I'll be set! ^_^ 


	3. Chapter III: Ave Maria

A/N Don't own X-Men. Ave Maria is an all around usable song I think, because it is a prayer too, but if it does belong to some person who feels the need to sue, I don't own it either. It's just going to be incorporated somewhere in here, not like the other chapters. Also, sorry it took me so long to update, but my weeks have been BOOKED, so I've been trying to get to this the best I can. But, I'm still open to any song suggestions you may have! REALLY! Don't be shy now! BTW, 'Unwell' is by Matchbox 20 and 'Quasimodo' is by Lifehouse ^_^' Sorry I didn't mention that before.

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Chapter III: Ave Maria

His eyes stuck slightly with the sleep crusting the sides of his eyelids, finding that the morning had past because the afternoon sun angle was directly on his face. He turned over on his side, feeling something was missing from the presence of the room. Indeed, something was wrong, for as he sat up out of the light he came to noticed that Victoria was not where she had been before. In fact, she was no where to be seen within eyesight, so without worry he grabbed his jacket and transported up to the top level. When he walked about, peeking around all the vertical beams, he found nothing, becoming almost worried when he realized she was gone. The thought did past his mind that she had just left, but why would she? She was fine here, so why would she just go back out to get hurt again? Then, in an instant, he recalled that not everyone was stable in their sleep as he was, and might actually have fallen off. Kurt jumped back down to the ledge below, staring off to the ground in praying he would not find something as terrible as his imagination could burrow in his mind. Luckily, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything there, the dust as settled in the wooden floor as it had always been.

But something else was there. It was a golden streak, illuminating the ground in a sparkle as a soft, chilling breeze kicked up. He jumped when he heard a bang coming from the entrance, appearing to be where the light came from. Something else was there as well, lying there limply with a small dark pool collecting to the side of it. Stepping down quietly, he approached it slowly, not quite sure what it was at first. But as he got close, seeing the ravaged bandaged face, he walked faster, almost in a run as he kneeled down beside her, finding that that dark pool was nothing other than blood.

He lifted her head up, shaking her slightly in trying to get her open her eye. In a moment, it became a slit in her consciousness, wording something that he couldn't quite understand at first. Of course, it became obvious as he gave more attention to his hearing, rather than his worry.

"Help...me..." she pleaded, her eye rolling back and forth in her head in trying to stay awake.

Kurt lifted her up, one arm under her knees and another on her shoulders, and warped up to where his bed was, putting her there gently. He helped prop her head up slightly so it wouldn't get thrashed back if she moved, looking at his hand afterward to find it was covered in blood as well. Her hair was matted wet, and he wondered what could have happened to her. In this moment, of course, he had no idea what he had to do, and hopefully the priest coming in today would not be late. He might know something, but until that time he had to do whatever he could to stop the bleeding at least.

"Wictoria, can you tell me vere it hurts? Vere it's numb anyvere?"

"My...my neck..." she said weakly, trying to turn her head to the side. He leaned from where he was kneeling to the side, brushing aside her hair to find the hole in the back of her neck. It bled through the bandages but didn't seem like it went too deep, though he didn't want to take any chances. He grabbed a small blanket to the side, clean enough to put on it, and wrapped it softly around her neck. Trying to grab more to stuff in front of it, her soaked hair kept falling over it, and it was frustrating to come back to it and find it had swung over like that. Finally he pulled it, getting it over her shoulder...

But with it, pulled _all_ of her hair off, including her hat. His eyes widened in horror, not even seeing what had happened at the top of her head as he stared just at the loc of hair in his fingers. He fell back from where he was kneeling, throwing the hair to the side as it smacked the wooden floor and splattered sickeningly over the beams and a three foot radius. 

"K-Kurt...?" she choked, Kurt still staring at the grotesque sight to the side. "How...bad...is it...?"

"F-fine..." he fibbed, still trying to be comforting in his consciousness with the state of shock the rest of him was in.

He suddenly heard a breath of a laugh, Victoria sighing in deep. "You're lying..."

He sat there, hesitating, and nodded his head, soon putting his head in his hands. Kurt didn't know what to say, for he didn't want to lower her hope and increase her doubt, but what else could he do? At least he could be honest. "Yeah..."

Kurt looked up, hearing the entrance door creak open loudly. Gazing down, he saw the priest step in, stepping in the pool of blood as he questioned what it was. Kurt jumped off, landing on his feet as he always did and rushing over to him, waving his hands furiously to get him to come.

"Fazer, zere's someone here, she's hurt!" he exclaimed quickly, the priest not quite catching what he said.

"Wait, wait, hold on there now. Who's hurt?" he stared up at Kurt's hands, noticing the blood from the light. "What happened here?"

"It's like zis. I found her vay up at ze top of ze church, I talked to her for a while, gave her new clothes and zen she fell asleep. I did also, but ven I voke up she vasn't zere. Ven I looked to see if ze door vas open from her leaving, I found her lying in zat puddle you see on ze ground." He took a deep breath from the one he had just used then. "Fazer, do you know anyzing in ze medical field?"

"I know some things," he replied. "Maybe I could help. But why didn't you just call 911, my son?"

He looked down at the floor, finally realizing his hands were up and putting them to his sides. "Because, Fazer, she's...not like most of ze world..."

"Oh, I see...Well, where is she?" he asked, and Kurt pointed up to his bed on the beams. The priest climbed after Kurt rushed up there, walking across and finding that Kurt had his head turned away from the sight. He tapped Kurt on the shoulder, understanding how he felt and walked over to the bed, kneeling down. He inspected the back of her neck, seeing what could and could not be done. To him, it didn't appear too bad, seeing on how it was just a minor flesh wound. But the dirty bandages did pose as a threat for infection, so he asked Kurt to get a pale or bowl of water and some clean sheets that may pose as a substitute. He did what he was told without hesitation, coming back a few minutes later and handing it to him but still keeping his eyes diverted from Victoria's head.

When all was finished and the priest had tried his best to stop the bleeding, he stood up, walking over to where he had noticed the scalp of hair and knew it was not a scalp at all, for the top of her head had been wrapped cleanly as well. He knew now of what she was a mutant, but he questioned whether Kurt knew or not, and whether he knew it had just been a wig he pulled off.

The priest kneeled down in front of where just was sitting, holding the still drenched hair in his hands. Kurt winced, still feeling awful for what he had done, and his stomach trying so hard not to turn. But as the priest turned it around, showing that it was just a black wig, he somehow felt better.

"You thought it was real hair, didn't you?" he asked, and Kurt nodded. "Well, as you see, it's not, and in fact her whole head was wrapped to begin with."

"How is she?" he asked.

"It was actually just skin deep, which makes me wonder where the rest of this blood came from. But, whatever it may be, that neck wound did make her lose a lot of her blood, so I'm afraid she won't be able to move much for a few weeks. Her speech may be a bit difficult to understand for a few days as well."

"Zat's alright, as long as she vill be fine."

"Yes, she will be," he said, taking the wig to put it in the trash but continuing as he began to climb down. "But be glad you found her when you did, my son, for she might not have last another day."

Kurt stalled for a moment, but soon slid over to her side, Victoria staring in the corner of her eye but unable to move it towards him from where it was facing directly up. Her head was now wrapped in a blue sheet, with her one eye looking out again in a hurtful way.

"Did you see...?" she asked quietly, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Did I see vhat?" he inquired.

"Did you see....me...?"

He gazed on in wonder, shaking his head. She smiled, her cheekbone rising to tell him she did this. Victoria questioned if the priest had told him, and he said he hadn't. She nodded her head, sighing.

"Then you will never have to..."

"Have to vhat? See who you are?" he questioned, taking her limped hand hanging off the side. "Wictoria, do not be ashamed of vhat you are, because all zat matters is vhat you are on ze inside."

"But..." she began, gazing blanking to the ceiling, "what I am...is what caused this..."

"I don't understand," he said, and her hand began to get feeling, weakly squeezing his hand with her fingers.

All of the sudden, she began sitting up, reaching up with her other hand to her head. She took the loosely tide flap tucked at the side and began unwrapping it. As she did this, though, he couldn't see where her head started at the top, and when the sheet was off and she put it behind her neck, his eyes widened in seeing the whole picture. The fact was he could see right _through_ her, down to where it bleed on the sheet, and just a crackled face hovering there. He could even see past the collar of her coat from where the bandages were removed. But her face, with the dried color of mud and cracks like puzzle pieces scaling her face evenly, rounded like it was part of a head, but stopped before it reached the ears. Her one eye was blue as he had seen before, but her other eye was dark, almost a black orb with nothing more but white around it. Victoria's frail lips parted a smile, her eyes still meaningful even though they were different.

"You know, I used to be able to get away with just cover the top and back of my head because my face was a normal color, but when they started those experiments...I became what you see now."

"Experiments?" he asked.

"Yes...I can't quite remember what they were, but I do remember having something done that made me into this..." She looked over to him, tears in her eyes. "And now you know...You see...what I am..."

He smiled, nodding his head. "And now I've seen all of you. Both who you are and vhat you are seem great to me, to tell you the truth."

"Really? You mean I could be a lot worse, right?" she twitched a smile.

"No, vell, I mean you _could_, but you don't look bad. In fact, zat invisibility could be very handy. Is everyzing zat is wrapped invisible?"

"Everything but my face," she replied. "Though, if I wanted to, I could make that disappear as well."

"See? Handiness already! You can get in and out of situations at vill! No one vill ever have to know you're zere! I mean, I stick out like a soar zumb, but vith you, who needs an entrance? You'll already be zere and out before anyone knows it!"

"That's the problem..." she whispered, gaping up again at the ceiling.

"But I zought you didn't vant to be noticed," he pointed out.

"No...I don't..." She lifted her head again, her hand shaking a bit more as she wrapped her head again, tucking it in securely. Kurt still didn't understand what she was trying to say, but could not ask her further because a moment later her eyes rolled back in her head, falling unconscious. He tap her hand once and checked her pulse before he put it back up on her stomach, sitting down on the floor and propping his back against the bed frame. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his bible, holding it there for a second as he thought. He realized it would be awhile before he got his bed back, but he hadn't quite thought where else he could sleep. Maybe one of the benches on the ground floor? Not exactly the most important subject he could come up with right then, but it was one of them. The only other topic that was of any importance to him right now was the fact if she'd be okay. She didn't seem well now, and with the colder weeks approaching he questioned whether she'd get any better at all.

Opening his book from where he left off, he decided to flip forward to the psalms where there might be something on patience. For all he could do was sit and wait.

***

The days went by, and still Victoria did not wake. It scared him sometimes to wake up, go up there and find her lying there so still, almost as if she had died many times over. Kurt checked her pulse, and it was fine; faint, but still able to feel in her wrists and her neck. Eventually he just decided to stay up next to her, making sure that if she woke up she'd have someone there. It was nearing the late days of December now, a few days before the twenty-fifth actually, and he was hoping she'd awake before then so she could listen to Christmas mass. Every year it was a beautiful sermon, and if she had been living on the streets for most of her life she had probably never been to any holiday occasion before. Or at least, even if she didn't wake up before then, she wouldn't have to spend Christmas or New Years alone again.

One day he took her hand, checking her pulse as he always did, but this time getting a responds. Her hand grabbed onto his, her eye slowly fluttering open with her head turning to face him. She smiled softly, Kurt doing the same in seeing she was fine.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, yawning slightly.

"Several days, in fact," he chuckled, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Several days? Really? My, I must've been tied...Well, what day is it?"

"It is ze twenty-second. It's been snowing for many days, if you're wondering vhy it's so cold."

"Of course, it _is_ winter after all," she said. She let go of his hand, holding her arms up in trying to sit up. Failing at that, she sighed, just lying back and shutting her eyes in her tiredness. "So...it's almost Christmas then?"

He nodded. "Yes, and six days after zat is New Years."

"Oh..."she said, almost dreadfully.

Kurt frowned in inquiry. "Vhat is it?"

"It's just...I heard you had to give a present to those you knew, and I don't have anything to give you. I'm sorry..."

He laughed. "No, it's alright! Christmas isn't exactly about giving presents, you know. Most importantly it's about ze birth of Christ, but it's also about being happy and sharing time vith your friends and family."

"Then...am I your friend?" she asked.

"Of course!" he proclaimed. "If you veren't, vould I be so vorried about you all ze time?"

"You're worried?" she said, an odd look of question on her face.

"Yes. Vhy, do you think I do zis all for my humane side?" he asked, and she stared, Kurt shaking his head. "Don't answer zat question."

She laughed, coughing slightly because of it. Victoria turned her head back straight, hesitating for a minute to think. Finally, she came up with it.

"Kurt, do you know Ave Maria?"

"Yes, I have both zat and the prayer memorized."

"Can I ask you a favor then?"

He stared, starting to understand what she was getting at. "You don't vant me to sing it. I'm not a wery good singer to begin vith."

"Please? I've only heard it once when I was very little and I loved that song. Please, just once?"

"Vell...I suppose I could." He cleared his throat, singing a low note to where it started off as, and then began to sing...

"_Ave Maria _

Gratia Plena 

Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu 

In mulieribus 

Et benedictus 

Fructus ventris tuae 

Jesus 

Santa Maria 

Santa Maria, Maria 

Ora pro nobis 

Nobis peccatoribus 

Nunc et in hora 

Mortis nostrae 

Amen, Amen" 

She smiled, Kurt shrugged. "Told you I couldn't sing."

"At least you tried...I wouldn't be able to open my mouth up with a note, let alone sing. But...you said you knew the prayer?"

He nodded. "Vould you like me to recite it to you?"

"Will you? I mean, I'll say it with you so you won't feel so weird by yourself," she stated.

"You know ze Hail Mary prayer?" he asked.

"Yes. I lived in another church for awhile...up until they found me out..."

"Alright..." She held out her hand, needing comfort in her increasing numbness in the back of her neck. Victoria was afraid she'd pass out again and if she did she was afraid she wouldn't wake up again. Kurt could understand this without even asking, and tried to make the best of the situation. As they both began to speak, Victoria's voice became choppy, almost a gurgle, but continued on talking. "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinner..." Kurt stopped, remembering the rest of it a second before Victoria continued on. "...now and at the hour of our death..."

Victoria coughed when she finished, clasping his hand tighter. He sighed, knowing fully why she wanted to hear it. Kurt put a hand on her forehead, Victoria breathing in deep to stop her coughs. She shut her eyes, rolling her head over as she blinked.

"You should get some sleep. You still are not vell."

"I guess..." she said, keeping her eyes shut but still not letting go of his hand.

Kurt stood up, continuing, "Vell, if you need anyzing just give holler-" He stopped, thinking he could just slip his hand away and climb down, but it did not happen. Instead, she held onto his hand tight, Kurt looking back to find her staring up at him, the saddest expression written in her eyes.

"Please don't go," she said quickly. "I...don't want to be alone...Just one day, that's all I ask! Just sit there and...just be there..."

He smiled softly, sitting down again and nodding his head. Kurt put her hand back up on her stomach, Victoria finally letting go. "Wery vell. I'll stay if you like."

"Thank you Kurt. I promise I won't say anything to keep you up!"

"But if you really do need anyzing just ask, alright?" he said, and she nodded, facing her head to the ceiling and sighing in relief. He sat back and laid down on his side, taking a while to get comfortable on the floor but eventually finding peace to fall asleep.

The church was silent for a time, both in their sound slumber. However, as a sudden breeze came from the entrance door swinging open, the flames of the chandelier candles went out, the area going dark. A figure moved in the shadows, another leisurely appearing a moment later. The first one came up to the upper beams as if it knew exactly where they were, taking out a bottle from it's coat and a cloth, pouring the liquid in it on the center of the cloth. As it got close, it reached out a hand, putting it over the already sleeping Nightcrawler's mouth. His breathing slowed, the ether taking it's affect to knock him out so he wouldn't wake up for anything. The other figure made it's way up as well, coming to the head of the bed. Whoever it was put a hand on the side of her face, whispering something.

"_Wakey wakey...Time for you to do another mission..._"

Her eyes opened wide, recognizing that voice in an instant. She opened her mouth the scream, getting a few seconds out but with no one there to hear, before a clawed hand reached out and grappled onto her face...


	4. Chapter IV: Sympathy

A/N Don't own X-Men or the song 'Sympathy' from the Goo Goo Dolls.

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Chapter IV: Sympathy

Stranger than your sympathy

This is my apology

I'm killing myself from the inside out

And all my fears have pushed you out

I wish for things that I don't need

All I wanted

And what I chase won't set me free

All I wanted

And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees

Oh yeah everything's all wrong yeah

Everything's all wrong yeah

Where the hell did I think I was?

The person hovering over her head grinned, continuing to speak as the clawed hand remained on her face, jutting into her skin slightly just enough so it wouldn't puncture but enough so if she moved at all, it would rip her face apart. 

"Seems you've made a cozy little living space here for awhile, haven't you? But, of course, you couldn't get away from us for that long." The man smirked, waving a hand in the dim light of the streetlamps coming through the window and exposing what it was. It couldn't quite be classified as a hand, because all that was there was a double edged sword him replace of his hand and forearm. In this gesture, the clawed hand let go, Victoria not willing to scream at this point because if she did they'd probably slit her throat in an instant. "Hopefully you didn't cozy up to too many thing, girl. For whatever this thing told you, it's all a lie."

"He's not a thing!" she chocked in a harsh but fearful whisper. "His name is Kurt."

"Kurt?" the man grinned, coming close with his jagged metal teeth shining. "Is that what he named himself?"

She shook her head. "N-no...His family named him..."

"Family?" he laughed, the other figuring chuckling slightly in amusement. "I guess it's worse than we thought! Girl, no mutant has a _family_, you of all people should understand this."

"But he did! In the circus..."

"The circus? You mean the village roadside freak show?" he proclaimed.

"Don't make fun of him!" she yelled, shaking her head. She was still too weak to sit up, but if she could, she would've capped him a good one in the jaw. "He's like me...He understands..."

"Absolutely nothing, girl. Besides, have you even told him who you are? What you have done? I'm _sure_ he would understand then. Maybe we should tell him...just as we drill his heart from his chest."

Her eyes widened, knowing they weren't kidding about that last part. "No, please...Don't hurt him..."

He continued on as if nothing had happened. "Stryker wants another mission from you. He wants you to go and destroy an electrical plant connected to more than half the city. Also, he wants you to be more careful with the clean up, unlike the last two assignments."

She twisted her face up. "And what if I refuse?"

The man pointed with his sword hand to Kurt, "Then he dies. Oh, and I suggest leaving unnoticed, because if he follows we're going to have to get rid of the witness."

The claw-handed person came to the side, picking up her hand and putting a hundred dollar bill in her hand. "Go to the nearest inn and we'll come and find you in three days time, on the dawn of the twenty fifth," the woman said, turning away a moment later and jumping back into the shadows.

The man remained, still grinning menacingly at her. "You're lucky Stryker still wants you alive, or I myself might have sliced those sarcastic lips off your face." He turned away, following his comrade out of the church.

Victoria stuck out her tongue, trying to make the best of the situation by mocking him somewhat, but it would change nothing. She rolled to her side, struggling to come up with an answer that would salve this. All her mind was good for was being a clean slate for ideas, and the only answer to this...was to leave...

As the morning came around, Kurt woke up in thinking that everything was as it had been when he first fell asleep. But it wasn't, for was he looked around, Victoria was not there. Instead, he heard footsteps coming from ground level, gazing off the beam to find she was not only _walking_ to the entrance doors, but with her long coat floating securely behind her. He figured that since she was fine, he'd surprise her in trying to make her laugh. Kurt transported down in front of her, making her jump back, however her face was less amused than he had pictured it being.

"Kurt, what are you doing up? I thought you were sound asleep," she said.

"Same here. I mean...Look at you! You're all better! Vhat are you doing up?"

"I just thought I might pray before..." she stopped, remembering she wasn't supposed to say anything, but couldn't help herself either way. "Before I left."

The smile spread over his face dimmed, wondering if he caught that last statement right. "Vhat?"

"You heard me...I s-said...I'm leaving..." She stalled for a minute, her throat becoming tighter with every second she had to stand there, staring at his face. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ever walking into this church and asking you for help. I'm sorry...for ever bringing you into this..." Victoria wanted to just walk past him, to leave and never have to look back. She knew, though, that was never meant to be.

He stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Bring me into vhat?"

"I...I can't tell you..." she said, stepping aside and beginning to walk on. "You don't want to know..."

She thought as she reached out a hand to the handle she could just step away, although he was already there, taking her wrist with his three fingered hand. Softly he whispered, "But I need to know. Vhy do you vant to leave?"

Victoria smiled, shaking her head. "I don't...But I know if I stay here, I'll only kill myself with all the happiness you bring." He said nothing after that, Victoria swinging the door open with tearful eyes. She ran down the snowy sidewalks, not really caring that people were staring at the sheet wrapped around her head. Kurt stared from out of the crack when the door did not shut tight, staring after her in question as she disappeared into the crowded streets...

__

Stranger than your sympathy

I take these things so I don't feel

I'm killing myself from the inside out

Now my head's been filled with doubt

It's hard to lead the life you choose

All I wanted

When all your luck's run out on you

All I wanted

You can't see when all your dreams are coming true

Oh yeah it's easy to forget yeah

You choke on the regrets yeah

Who the hell did I think I was?

Victoria did come to the nearest inn, (a very, _very_ cheap hotel, more accurately), and walked through the broken, creaky door, almost being trampled by a horde of kids and a mother just trying to keep up to get out. The place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while, or at least the front office, where the paint was beginning to peel and there was dirt and mud all over the carpet. There was a woman sitting at the front counter, reading a magazine and chewing bubblegum with her mouth open. As Victoria approach the lady looked up with her wrinkly face, covered with more make up than she had thought possible.

"How can I help ya, hun?" the woman said with a choppy voice, seeming as if not to notice her wrapped head. Maybe it was a normal around here.

"I'd like a room please," she said quietly, reaching into her pocket for the hundred dollar.

"Sorry, all out," she said somewhat loudly, ringing in her ears. "No rooms left I'm afraid. Big convention downtown."

"Don't you have _anything_ open?" she asked, worrying that this might pose as a problem.

"Nope...Unless you'd be willing to sleep in the boiler room!" she laughed at this, but Victoria remained serious.

"How much?" she questioned, and the woman stared.

"Wait, you're serious? I could always recommend another of our ot-"

"No, this is fine," she interrupted, putting the money down on the table. "Keep the change, I don't care. Just give me the key."

"_Okay_..." she reached under the desk, grabbing the key and handing it to her. "Just take your time kid. I'll give you a week, okay?"

"More than I need," she said, taking it from her and following the signs to her room.

When she got to it, she just happened to see a cockroach rushing past, but really didn't care much about it. She opened the rusty door, seeing the shelves of extra blankets and pillow the maids would use in the other rooms and decided to make the best and spread some of them out over the concrete floor to be more comfortable. Victoria wasn't even that tired, but all she wanted to be left alone and sulk in her misery. She put her head in her dried blood hands, crying her heart out in her sadness.

Everything had been so fine, life for once in her life had been so good to her, and if only she hadn't been the person her past knew her as. It wasn't like she had done the things she had on her own will, that madman Stryker had done it. He created that serum to control mutants to do his bidding, no matter how much they tried to resist it. Though she tried running away from it all, there would always be one of his loyal minions to stop her. She had never met a mutant that was kind to her...Not _once,_ just because she was born this way and not just 'emotionally changed' like them.

Until she met him.

He had been so warm and accepting, that at first she couldn't believe it was true. His kindness was like a dream come true, his friendship like the world she never expected to have. Everything was so...so perfect...Until her luck ran out, and they found her again. She did such a good job at assassinations that they _just_ couldn't quite grant her freedom, no matter if she wanted it to stop. But, she mocked herself for ever thinking something like that could ever happen. Who did she think she was, believing she could live a normal life? Such a foolish notion...

She winced at the pain of her life, praying that one day she might actually be granted mercy...

A few hours after dusk, Nightcrawler emerged for the first time in a long while onto the street, ducking behind alleys and away from the light where people might notice him. He wore the collar of his coat up high with a hat covering most his face in shadow, the sides of that hat luckily falling over his ears. Kurt had no idea where to start, but knew he had to find her. If he didn't, everything he had worked for would be a failure and his friend that he had tried to help might not be around to witness Christmas.

He wore a pair of gloves that should've fit regular people's hand to make him seem more normal, approaching just a few people to ask if they had seen anyone wearing a sheet over their head. Most said no, but others said they had seen someone earlier like that, heading east, though they didn't know where they were now. He said his thanks and moved on, and eventually came to a lady dealing with five little kids. Kurt wondered if he should ask, but knew he should help when the many packages she had in her arms feel everywhere when she slipped on a patch of ice. Her children scrambled about as he approached, beginning to help her pick up the mess.

"Oh, thank you, sir. I've just been so flustered today," she stated, lining the bags on her arms and stacking the packages up again in her hands.

"Aren't ve all? I've just been looking for someone. You wouldn't possibly have seen a woman, about five seven, wearing a wrapped sheet over her head?"

"A sheet on her head?" she laughed, shaking her head. "No I don't believe I have."

"Oh vell, vhatever," he said, handing her the last bags on the ground.

"Well, thank you again, sir," she began, one of her pesky kids coming up from behind and getting the bright idea to pull his hat off to be playful. "I hope you find the person you-" She stopped as the kid began to run around, smiling gleefully and not realizing the situation at hand.

"Look, mommy, an elf!" the little girl who had been clinging to her side said, pointing.

Kurt smiled without showing his teeth, keeping his eyes low in trying not to frighten them anymore than they probably were. He stood up, turning away without another word to find the nearest alley to hide it, just incase she decided to call the police or something. However, he must've been losing touch on what people were bound to do, and was instead stopped when the woman spoke.

"Hey, wait, you forgot your hat!" she yelled to him, jerking it away from the little boy and stumbling after him. Kurt turned around, the woman handing him his hat wear her quickly put it back on. She smiled, nodding her head. "So...You're a mutant?" she asked, and he nodded. "Wow...You guys are a lot nicer than most people say."

"Just like regular people, I guess. Some are good, some are not so good."

"Yeah...But, hey, you know what? Now that I think about it I believe I did see someone with a wrap over their head walking into my sister's work. Umm...I think it was bluish, uneven around her whole head except where it showed her eye?"

"Yes, zat's her!" he said excitedly. "Vhere's you're sister's vork?"

"Oh, it's just a block that way. It's the only hotel down there so it shouldn't be too hard to find. It's a big pink building!"

"Zank you, zank you so much!" he said, shaking her only free hand and beginning to run in the direction she pointed to.

"No problem! Merry Christmas!"

"God Bless!" he shouted back.

The woman turned back in the way she was going, the little girl continuing to look back as she walked on with holding her mother's skirt.

"He had a funny voice," the little girl said, the little boy who had stolen his hat before running in circles and agreeing with her. The mom reached out a hand, grabbing his ear.

"And you, young man, are in big trouble! You know better than to steal something!" she scolded.

"Aw, but mom!" he whined, tugging to get away but it was no use to a mother's grip.

"No buts! You just hope he finds the person he's looking for or Santa might not get you any presents!"

"Mommy, was he one of Santa's helpers?" the little girl asked, and the woman paused in thought.

"Yes, I guess you could say that," she replied, smiling as the snow continued to fall in the approaching twilight.

When he had reached the pink, crummy hotel, he entered through the same creaky door she had, coming up to the counter the wrinkly woman was sitting at, reading a magazine and popping her bubblegum loudly. Luckily the lighting was low, so she couldn't see what pigment his skin was, (although he didn't think she could see too well either).

"Sorry, hun, we're booked," she stated before Kurt could even say anything.

"Vell, I vas vondering if you had seen anyone vith a sheet over zeir head come in here."

She looked up at him, raising a eyebrow that was barely there. "Yeah, I saw someone like that. Why?"

"Is she still here?"

"Of course. It's like she wouldn't leave. She kept asking for a room, _any_ room, and finally settled for the boiler room."

"Vhere is zat, ze boiler room?" he asked politely.

"Over there are to your left. Can't miss it, it's a crappy green metal door."

"Umm, Zank you zen..." he said quietly, walking away as the woman flipped a page on her magazine.

"No problem kid."

Kurt quietly walked through the hall, coming across the rusted green door. He could kneel down and looked inside since the corners were all rusted through, seeing a figure sitting there. Knocking on the door, he heard no responds but opened the door nonetheless, finding Victoria with her hand in front of the burner for warmth.

She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was, because he was the only person who would be looking for her.

"Hey Kurt..." she whispered, her shivering breath evaporating into the air with it.

__

Stranger than your sympathy

All these thoughts you stole from me 

I'm not sure where I belong 

Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong 

And I wasn't all the things 

I tried to make believe I was 

And I wouldn't be the one to kneel 

Before the dreams I wanted 

And all the talk and all the lies 

Were all the empty things disguised as me 

Yeah stranger than your sympathy

Stranger than your sympathy 


	5. Chapter V: Angel

A/N Disclaimers are annoying...But, what are you going to do? I don't own X-Men or the song 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan. Oh, and thanks guys of the reviews! I didn't think anyone would like it...But you proved that theory wrong! Thanks much! ^_______^ BTW I know this one's short and has a lot more religious prospective, but this is Kurt we're talking about. If you're not into that stuff then just deal with it 'til the next chapter, okay? I just kinda thought I was slacking in that so...yeah. On with the story!

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Chapter V: Angel

Spend all your time waiting

for that second chance

for a break that would make it okay

there's always some reason

to feel not good enough

and it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction

oh beautiful release

memory seeps from my veins

let me be empty

and weightless and maybe

I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an angel

fly away from here

from this dark cold hotel room

and the endlessness that you fear

you are pulled from the wreckage

of your silent reverie

you're in the arms of the angel

may you find some comfort here

She clasped her shaking hands together tight, trying not to appear as weak as she was. The boiler room, even though it provided heat for the rest of the hotel, was colder than the outside possibly because of its cement surroundings. Since she had not left from when she had arrived, sitting on the cold, hard floor for so long, she was probably as cold as an ice cube. She attempted to stop her shivering, but it was given away when she opened her mouth to chattering teeth.

"K-K-Kurt....W-what are y-you doing here...?" she asked, sniffling her nose.

Kurt shut the door behind him, going over and kneeling next to her. He took her hands, feeling how freezing they were. She shook her head when he took off his jacket, putting it over her shoulders, but she was too weak to say or do anything. Instead, she just let him put an arm around her, rubbing both shoulders for friction to get her temperature up.

"You're freezing, Wictoria. Vhy do you do zis to yourself?" he inquired, and she didn't answer for a long while.

"D-do you th-think I want to...? They s-said...They said..."

He stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Who said? Vhat are you talking about?"

"K-Kurt..." she began, shutting her one revealed eyed. "There are some things...t-that I have neglected to tell you..."

"Like vhat?" he asked.

She did not reply at first, but only sighed deeply. Victoria did not turn to look at him, for if she did their would be a greater sorrow and a greater disappointment than there needed to be. She didn't want to tell him, though she knew there was no other way, and the most honest would probably hurt him the least in the long run.

"There are these people...that I got involved with a long t-time ago because...because I thought they could help me...They were mutants, except those who were born like regular people, and they seem so trusting..."

"Are zes ze people you talk about?" he asked.

"Yes..." she answered quietly, nodding her head slowly. "Kurt...there's something I want to say, but...I'm afraid that if I do...y-you'll never want to see the likes of me again."

"Nonsense!" he laughed, shaking his head. "No matter vhat you've done, I know who you are now. Zat's all zat really matters."

"But...Kurt..." she started to cry, her voice becoming parched. "You don't understand..."

"Vhat is zere to understand? You are still a good person," he pointed out.

She couldn't possibly take much more of this. For what she was, or at least what she had tried to get away from, went against everything he was. How could she ever be friends with such a good man? She was what she was, and it didn't seem that she could ever escape from it, no matter how hard he wanted to help.

Victoria finally gazed up at him with her cold, teary eye, appearing like she could hardly say what she had to say. But finally she just got it out in the most simple way she could.

"Kurt...I kill people..."

The dark blue pigment seem to drain from his face, his shaky eyes looking back to the burning embers of the furnace and his hands loosening off her shoulders. She clenched her hands again, putting them on her forehead as she shook her head.

"I'm...I'm sorry I didn't tell you...I just thought if I didn't tell you about it...that you would except me as the person I've always wanted to be, not as the person they make me be..." Her hands fell to her sides, feeling like it was useless to explain to him when he was already too far gone to reach. "It's not like I _want_ to kill, it's just that they _make_ me kill. That's why my neck was bleeding, because the stuff that controls me didn't set in right and it burned around the rest of my skin...They take me away in the night, and I can't remember anything expect that I'm usually drenched in blood..." She wiped the tears around her one eye, putting her face in her hands.

"So...you have no vay of controlling zis?" he asked quietly, the shock of the matter still sinking.

"I've ran away so many times I've lost count. I've been to six contents, and every time, every _single_ time they find me. I don't want to do this, I've _never_ wanted to do this. _Never _in my _life_. I know I've disliked normal humans for the way they treat mutants...but no one, _no one_ deserves to die until they're old and gray and lived their life to the fullest. The only way this could ever stop is if I died, and I've prayed so hard that when they take me away to a state that I can't remember, I won't wake up with someone else's blood on my hands..." She didn't look up, not really wanting to so he wouldn't care so much. "I won't be shocked if you leave now, Kurt, and in fact...it's probably be best if you did..."

He paused, thinking deeply in that moment of silence. Kurt stared over to her, seeing her silently sobbing and trying to wipe away her tears. If it hadn't been her fault, if she had been forced to do such horrible things, then how could she ever escape from it without help? How could he let himself walk away when she really did need kindness to guide her? Surely he could do something, _anything_, like getting her out of this hotel for starters and even out of the city before those people knew it. In this, he would not run away as so many others would have done, but only put his arms back around her shoulders, hugging her tight.

"I know now vhy you've felt so badly about yourself..."he said, smiling ironically. "I vill help you, no matter vhat."

__

So tired of the straight line

and everywhere you turn

there's vultures and thieves at your back

and the storm keeps on twisting

you keep on building the lies

that you make up for all that you lack

it don't make no difference

escaping one last time

it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh

this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

She gazed up at him with nervous eyes, slowly shaking her head in disagreement to his decision. But he only smiled still, pretty sure he had made up his mind about the situation. Victoria, however, did not want this to happen, and flailed her arms to get him away, crawling across the room to a wall where she put her back against it, shaking her head.

"No, no! Please, don't do this!" she pleaded, clasping her hands and holding them out in front of her. "I'm not worth the trouble! Please, I'll be just fine, as I always have! I...I just don't want to see you get hurt...Please, Kurt, I beg of you, just go back to the church, to the one home you have left!"

His smile faded, looking back to the furnace. Shaking his head, he spoke. "I cannot do zat."

Her face seemed puzzled. "But why? You were so much happier there, before I arrived."

"To vhat you zink I vas," he proclaimed. "You see, ze church is not really my home. Only once have I ever had a home, and zat vas back in ze circus. Ever since...it's just been a place I've occupied with my faith. Zat is...until you came..." She lowed her hand to her sides, wanting to hear more. "Vhen I arrived zere, at ze church, even ze priests vere a bit shaky of my presence. Ever since I immigrated over here, everyone but my original family had always been afraid of me. But you...ze moment I saw your eyes vhen you looked at me for ze wery first time, you vere so accepting. It vas as if...you saw past zis inner shell everyone sees and actually saw me for _who_ I vas. Zat's vhy I can't just leave you here, all alone again as I had been, for a house is only a home vith a family and...I see you as my family...as ze real friend I never truly had..."

He smiled, thinking it funny that he had said that, but she in no way thought it was funny. She took it very seriously, and almost began to cry again. No one in her life had ever been so caring, and she had never expected anyone to be. Though now, even after everything she had said, even after she had explain what she had done, it was so heart warming, (and breaking in a sense that it was so hard to comprehend), that she stood up, fumbling over to him before she collapsed on her knees, hugging him tight. She buried her face in the side of his chest, tears rolling down the sides of her face. He was thrown back by it, but smiled anyway, hugging her back.

"D-do you r-really mean it, Kurt?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Vith all my heart," he replied. He put a hand on the back of her head, patting it softly. "I vant you to know zat I vill do everzing I can to protect you. It is ze least I can do."

She shook her head, looking up. "Why do you keep saying that? I haven't done anything and yet-" Victoria stopped when she noticed he kept on smiling.

"You're friendship is all zat I could ever ask for."

"Even after all I've done?" she asked.

"Like you said, you vere forced to do it. Surely you're mind vas conscious to vitness ze acts, but your heart and your soul vere not. You tried to resist zem ze best you could, and you did not mean to do zes zings."

"But...I didn't do any of those things on my own freewill but..." she began to cry.

"You repent for your sins, zough...And if you are sorry vith _every_ vay of your heart and soul, especially if you really didn't do it vith your own consciousness, zen I cannot be mad at you, and I'm pretty sure God vill forgive you."

"Really...?"

"Yes, so long as you svear to learn from your mistakes and at least do everyzing in your power to avoid zes people or resist zis serum zey put in you. You, as vith everyone else in zis vorld, is one of God's children, and if you apologize for all ze wrongs you have done vith sincerity, zen like a parent he vill forgive you."

"And I am, I am sorry...I've been sorry ever since I joined that group...Are you sure, though, that your not angry at me...?"

Kurt shook his head, laughing. "If God cannot stay mad at you for wery long zen how can I possibly be angry at you for a _second_?"

She smiled, hugging him close once more. "Thanks Kurt. You just make my day."

He stared at the fire again, feeling it's warmth in his eyes, and thought of a solution. "You know, ve should probably leave before sun up."

"Leave? Where can we leave _too_?" she asked.

"Oh, I'll zink of somezing vhen ze time comes. Right now," he yawned, stretching his arms up and leaning back against the wall, "I think it's best zat ve both get a little bit of sleep."

"Yeah," she answered, leaned back as well and putting her head on his shoulder. "Sounds good to me."

They both shut their eyes and yawned, slowly dozing off in that cold, December night, for once in a long time with all at peace, even if it was for a little while...

__

In the arms of an angel

fly away from here

from this dark cold hotel room

and the endlessness that you fear

you are pulled from the wreckage

of your silent reverie

you're in the arms of the angel

may you find some comfort here

you're in the arms of the angel

may you find some comfort here


	6. Chapter VI: Hero

A/N Okay, back to the norm...sorta...whatever the norm is...^_^' Don't own X-Men or the song Hero by Chad Kroeger and Joesy Scott. Please, throw out song suggestions, anything cool will do and I'll think if it's usable. I'm running out of ideas myself here... Oh, and I will use 'Iris' eventually, just gotta think of where to put it. ^___^ BTW, does anyone know what happened to Kurt's adopted parents?

__

Chapter VI: Hero

__

I am so high, I can hear heaven

I am so high, I can hear heaven

Whoa, but heaven...no, heaven don't hear me

And they say

That a hero could save us

I'm not gonna stand here and wait

I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles

Watch as we all fly away

Someone told me

Love would all save us

But, how can that be

Look what love gave us

A world full of killing

And blood spilling

That world never came

Kurt woke up on the dawn of the twenty fourth, (even though he wasn't sure if it was dawn or not), seeing Victoria sleep soundly next to his shoulder. Putting a hand on the side of her face, her eyes blinked open slowly, smiling to see his face again. Standing up, he took her hand, helping her to her feet.

"I've got an idea," he proclaimed, Victoria rubbing her eye with her one hand.

"What is it?" she yawned.

"I'll explain later, just come quickly before ve miss it!"

"Miss _what_, Kurt?" she asked as her arm was jerked along, Kurt swinging open the door and running with her along the empty hallway. As they came across the front desk the woman with the wrinkly face looked up, noticing their disturbance. Before they reached the heavy wooden door, the woman got their attention by cough horsely at them.

"Excuse me, hun, 'think you're forgettin' something," she pointed out, reaching under the desk and pulling out a fifty, a twenty, and a ten dollar bill. Kurt let go of her arm, Victoria approaching the desk slowly and taking the money from her. "Our rate is only twenty bucks here. Since you only stayed a night, you can have the rest back."

"Oh...thanks..." she said, thinking the woman might have pointed something else out, like why she was wearing a sheet over her head and if she suspected a mutant she'd call the cops.

"No problem, kid," she said, picking up her magazine again.

She went back over to Kurt as she put the money in her pocket, both heading quickly out the door. Kurt lead her down the street as if knowing where he was going, Victoria somehow recognizing her surroundings within a few minutes. She questioned about it when she suddenly saw it. The church that is, and the doors Kurt lead her through to the priest standing at the back of the building facing the prayer candles. He looked surprised, wondering where they had been all this time.

"Kurt, we've been looking all over for you! Where have you been all day?" he asked.

"Fazer, I am wery sorry but I can only explain shortly. You see, zere are zes people who are after her, and I promised I vould protect her, but ve have no vhere safe to go except out of ze city. I say my up most apologies vhen I tell you zis but... Fazer...ve need money vhere ve're going..."

The priest stared for a moment, seeing the most sincere look he'd ever seen on a human being written in Kurt's eyes. He understood exactly what he meant, and nodded, showing them along to the back office. The priest dug into a drawer of the desk there, pulling out as much as he could find. Handing it to Kurt, he told him to take good care of it.

"If you believe it is the right thing, then I cannot refuse to help. You have been a great helper in this church for a long time, and you of all people have earned our extra charity money. Besides, the church is in the best shape it's been in ages because of you!" he paused for a moment, shrugging. "But may I ask, are you planning to join the circus?"

Kurt grinned, seeing the joke in his seriousness. "Somezing like zat." He patted the priest on the shoulder, beginning to get teary eyed. "Zank you, Fazer."

"You are very welcome, my son. Now go, be with god, and protected the one you promised to protect."

In this, Kurt took Victoria's hand, running out again as fast as they could go. The priest hoped Kurt knew what he was doing, but knew somewhere deep down he was doing the right thing...

It took about fifteen minutes of walking and running for Victoria to realize where exactly they were heading. She could hear the fog horns from incoming ships, the crashing off water coming upon the docks of the harbor. It wasn't just that they were leaving the city, but appeared to her that they were leaving the _country_.

She stopped dead in the middle of the streets, Kurt looking back in question when she did this. Her eyes planted to the ground, she clenched her fists, hoping she wouldn't hear the answer it was most likely to be.

"Kurt...for the last time...where are _going_?" she asked quietly, Kurt shrugging.

"I vas hoping you vouldn't mind but...My homeland?"

"_Germany_, Kurt? Don't you think I've tried that?" she inquired, looking up at him. "I told you, I've already been everywhere! There's no where to run, and if they find you with me they'll kill you too!"

Kurt paused for a moment, Victoria shaking her head. "Zen vhere did you zink ve vere going?" he asked.

"I don't _know_! I just...I don't know...I guess I was so caught up with it this morning that I would be safe somehow, but now that I can think straight...I see the reality and it's not what I hoped it to be..."

"I promised I'd help you," he said, taking her hand, "and I _vill_ help you. Germany is a big place, surely zey von't be able to find us zat easily. But you have to trust me."

She sighed, nodding her head. "I trust you, Kurt."

He smiled, pulling her along again. With their luck, they might be able to find a barge heading over to Europe that they could hitch a ride on. From there, they could get a bus from wherever they landed and pay with the money they had for as far as it would go. They'd probably have to hike afterwards, but it wasn't a matter, so long as they got away safely.

That's all that mattered right now.

__

And they say

That a hero could save us

I'm not gonna stand here and wait

I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles

Watch as we all fly away

Now that the world isn't ending

It's love that I'm sending to you

It isn't the love of a hero

And that's why I fear it won't do

They came too early.

They suspected she might do something so drastic so came around noon. A cocky older teenager who looked like he didn't even pass high school replaced the old woman, staring intently at the small, portable TV planted on the desk. An Asian woman with her black hair tied back in a ponytail entered, walking up to him without gawking about. Putting her hands on the counters, she stared at him with her sunglasses adorning her face firmly.

"A girl wearing a sheet over her head, did you see her?" the woman asked.

"Huh?" he questioned groggily. "I don't know what you're talking about, lady."

She smirked, shaking her head. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a small, semi-automatic, pointing it at his forehead. "Maybe this will jog your memory. Now, have you seen her?"

"Dude..." he began, his voice beginning to shake. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Really?" She armed the weapon. "You sure about that?"

He hesitated for a moment shrugging as he shook his head. "Maybe...The old hag said someone odd left here this morning and that I should call the police if anyone else showed up."

"Do you know what room she stayed in?"

"Yeah, the boiler room!" he said, getting out the key and shakily handing it to her.

She turned without another glance, pacing off down the hall. As she came to the door, she didn't even bothered to open it with the key, but just kicked it down. Her facical expression did nothing, but anyone who had been there at the time could tell she was dreadfully angry. Coming back out to the main room, the kid asked for the key, but it was a big mistake. The woman stopped, twisting to her side and aiming the gnat him. He cursed as he ducked for his life, the woman shooting through the crummy wall. She almost grinned as she walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Putting the gun back in her pocket, she followed the sidewalk to a deserted alley, walking to the end of a dumpster and staying out of sight. Standing there was her comrade, waiting for an explanation on why she didn't have Victoria's head yet.

"_Well_?" he questioned with his iron teeth glinting.

"She's not there. She must've ran away again."

"Should have expected it...But where could she have gone?" he wondered out loud.

"To my guess she left the city, probably by boat."

"Yes..." he thought for a moment, scratching the top of his bald head. "Hmm...Where was that blue mutant from? I think she called it Kurt?"

"From the background we got on it, somewhere in Germany."

"Then that's probably where they're headed..."

"_They_?" she inquired in a monotone.

"Yes. Obviously she wouldn't have done this without any outside help, and he's the only one she could go too..."

"So they must be at the harbor," she pointed out.

"Precisely. Come, we still have time to catch them..."

By two o'clock, they managed to ask around and find one ship that was leaving to Italy. It would be enough, but it would take some time before the ship could leave and they could sneak on. They overheard others who were doing the same, but decided not to talk to them just yet, knowing that one of them just might rat them out for a clean getaway on the ship.

Around the time it was to set sail, they hid behind crates to get on when the sailors weren't paying attention. Kurt stared back to her, telling her now to worry and that he had the whole thing cover, (as he always did in those kind of situations). He told her to go when he said so, and when the time was right...

"Okay, let's-" he started to whisper, but glanced over his shoulder, seeing she wasn't there. Where could she have _been_, though, at a time like this? They were going to miss the ship! Kurt scrambled behind the crates to find her, but all he found was a piece of her coat snagged on a loose nail.

Back in an alley a few yards away, Victoria struggled to get free, a heavy arm wrapped around her neck. The man from before pulled her head forward from her hair, lifting up the sheet at the nape of her neck and that acid feeling returning once more. She would've screamed if only the woman didn't have her hand over her mouth, coming close to her ear as the serum dripped onto her neck.

"Kill him," she rasped, Victoria only growing angrier. She clenched her fist, finding the strength to just barely sidestep and get the man in the stomach, slipping past and running off. The woman would've gone after her, if only it hadn't been for the man putting a hand on her arm. "You didn't use all of it," she exclaimed.

"No need," he replied, straightening with a sickening crack of his spine. "It will only be delayed longer. The affect is still the same, but we can expect the whole crew dead before they even get there."

The woman nodded, walking off with him back into the deserted back alleys where their mutant beings wouldn't be noticed.

Victoria fond Kurt still searching among the crates, collapsing next to him. He asked where she had been, and she only shook her head in fear.

"We got to leave, _now_! They're here!" she said, and that was all he needed to know. He took one glance, seeing the sailors were too occupied to notice anyway, and took her hand, quickly leading her along to a hole in the ship others had gone into, ending up in the lower decks of the ship.

They found there spots next to, what they soon found out, about twenty other people in the cargo hold, everyone silent in the still strangeness of the moment. Victoria neglected to tell him about the serum in her neck, thinking it would worry him too much for something she thought wouldn't matter in the first place. They hadn't put enough to make her go crazy, so she figured there was nothing to be concerned about. But if she had only known the formalities of it all...

As the ship set sail, the chatter began between them all, though some, including themselves, stayed quiet for awhile. That was, until they were addressed by a young couple sitting next to them. A tiny woman smiling brightly at them, asking them what their names were. They both responded shortly, not talking much even if both of them chatted on to Kurt and Victoria. Finally, Kurt smiled, still not exposing his sharp teeth, but asking where they were headed.

"We're headed to Spain!" the woman said proudly. "We've heard their not with discrimination against mutants there."

"Mutants?" Victoria asked. "Do you mean to say...You're _mutants_?"

"Of course!" the man said. "Everyone here is! We're from a mutant activist group, but out supporters backed out when they heard Congress was considering signing that bill."

"See, this guy here has telepathic abilities, like moving things," the woman said.

"What's your power?" Victoria asked.

"Me? I'm reptilian."

Kurt gulped. "You mean like..._snakes_?"

"No, I wouldn't say that exactly," she smiled, winking. The only bizarre thing was her eye blinked vertically, instead of the normal horizontal.

"Say, are you guys, you know, against mutants or something?" the man asked.

"No, of course not!" Kurt replied, taking off his concealing hat and revealing his blue skin, yellow eyes, and pointy ears. "In fact, ve're both mutants."

"Blue skin! Cool!" the woman proclaimed, beaming.

"Wow, how did your parents react when you turned into that? Mine, they kicked me out of the house and sent me to boarding school. They said it was a 'phase', and I'd get over it with some good discipline. _Ha_, that was laugh."

"Actually, I didn't know my parents, and vas born like zis, unlike most who acquired such traits later on," he said.

"Oh, you poor thing!" the woman exclaimed with sympathy. "Well, if this means anything, I would give four fingers to have different colored skin! I'm mean, I'm _reptilian_, shouldn't I have green skin, at least?"

Kurt laughed, shaking his head. He took off his gloves, holding his hands up to the light to show them. "You know, ze funny zing about giving four fingers is...I vas never born vith zose four fingers."

"Oh my...Yes, you are a different sort, aren't you?" she smiled, the man nodding his head in the same respect. 

"Don't vorry, I von't be offended if you zink it's strange. I've gotten used to it over ze years."

"No, it's not a bad thing!" the man said. "In fact, I bet you could probably do some great gymnastics with them!"

"Actually, not zat you mention it, I vas in the circus."

"Really? How cool!" the woman squeaked, giggling in excitement. "What a great job! What do you think, hun, should we join the circus when we get to Spain?"

"Let's think about it," he said slowly as the woman turned her head to him, Kurt shaking his head. "I'm sure we should probably know someone first before we go off doing that. Really, no offense to you, sir."

"None taken! In fact, my adopted family vas already in ze circus, so zat's how I got started in it."

"Oh...Bummer..." the woman huffed, shrugging. As if nothing could let her down, though, she smiled again, looking to Victoria. "So, you're a mutant too? What's your powers?"

Victoria did not answer, but only diverted her eyes to the floor, keeping silent. Instead, Kurt filled in for her, trying to get off the subject.

"She doesn't exactly like to talk about it much," he whispered, and they both whispered a word of understand back.

The almost meaningless chatter continued on as usual, however, until it died down when everyone began to drift off into sleep. Even their neighbors dozed off rapidly when everyone else did, Kurt setting his back against the steel wall next to Victoria again. She was still awake, staring at the floor with her head hung low. There was a long stillness, until Kurt reached into the pocket of his jacket, just remembering his bible was there. He was going to open it and start reading again, but stalled all of the sudden, his head being forced to look up when he heard a small sigh. Looking from Victoria, to his bible, and back again, he reached out and took her hand, finally placing it in her hands.

"Zis is my favorite book. It's brought me hope over the years, and I can see in your eyes zat you're lacking in zat hope. If one day I am not zere, and if you don't have anyone else to lean on for help, or anyone to trust, keep zis in mind."

She stared at the old, worn leather bound book, fingering the golden threaded words of its name with her right hand. Victoria shook her head, holding it back out to him.

"I can't accept it. You've lost too many things because of me and I don't want to be the cause of something even more important than I could ever dream of being worth."

"Nonsense," he smiled, pushing it back towards her. "Zere is more zan just zat one copy of ze Holy Bible in ze vorld, I'm pretty sure of zat. But in zis point in time, I can see you vill be needing it more zan I, am I right?"

She hesitated, but soon nodded, taking it towards her and putting it in her coat pocket, right over where her heart would be. "Thank you, Kurt. I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"I'm sure you vill," he said, and then crossed his arms, leaning back and shutting his eyes. "Now, ve have a long journey, you should vant to get some sleep."

She nodded again, sitting back as well but unable to shut her eyes. As Kurt fell fast asleep, she could only stay awake, in impending pain increasing in her head so much that she wanted to shill her voice at the top of her lungs. But all she could do was yell in her head, wincing as the pain got worse with every moment she sat there.

In fact, as the hours went on, she, as if against her will, unwrapped the cloth over her head, her one blue eye turning as black as it's counterpart. She arose as she held her head in pain, scrambling to get out, to go _anywhere_, just until her sanity came back to her again. Sadly enough, the one thing she never wanted to happen did, and that was Kurt waking up and seeing she was gone, going in search to where she had gone before her madness subsided...

And before she could realize that her very mission was to eradicate him...

__

And they say

That a hero could save us

I'm not gonna stand here and wait

I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles

Watch as we all fly away

And they're watching us

They're watching us

As we all fly away 

And they're watching us

They're watching us

As we all fly away 

And they're watching us

They're watching us

As we all fly away 


	7. Chapter VII: To know

A/N Well, I guess it doesn't matter then, (what happened to Kurt's adopted parents I mean). Don't own 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. This is probably going to be the last chapter. Yes, I know, I guess you could say this is a short(er) story, but hey, up to this point it's been 37 pages! The ending might not be so good, but I've had so much stuff to do, (see, we have summer homework! Yay...) Well, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and stuck with this thing, so..._THANK YOU VERY MUCH_!!!! ^___________^

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Chapter VII: To Know

__

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

'Cause sooner or later it's over

I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

There was no sound on the ship except the creaking of wood in the approaching rough waters and the sound of a pair of footsteps, quietly stumbling as the walls thrashed back and forth. Kurt, even if he usually was able to keep his balance, had trouble staying on his feet, holding an arm up now and then to stay upright. It was far too dark to see, and even if she was three feet in front of him he probably wouldn't know it. A few times did crew members pass by, carrying flashlights and letting him see slightly over the corner he stood behind, seeing if she was anywhere near. Every time, though, he only saw that one crew member, carrying on as if no one else was there. Kurt was sure to follow this one, (unlike the last few he hadn't thought of following), to see if he would find anything with the light he had.

Seconds became minute. Minutes became hours. The night dragged on and the weather got worse, all with no sign of Victoria. But as the crew member turned into another hall his face twisted in horror to what he saw, Kurt unable to tell what it was until the man ran forward, Kurt taking his spot at the corner. As the light flashed the floor, he could only guess what it was.

The crew member examined what was there, finding another man lying there. His eyes were wide open along with his mouth, his face mauled with parts of his skin torn off. The man with the flashlight checked the other's pulse, seeing he was still alive, and stood up, saying he'd go get help. The light was gone in a few seconds, Kurt being left in the dark. He wasn't too sure if he should go off into that hall, but knew it probably held some clue as to where she was.

Stumbling off into the cold metal darkness, he could hear the sound of wet blood slicking beneath his feet, just until he turned another corner. At this, he began to notice a wind coming through the corridor, being lit ever so often when a lightning bolt struck the sea. He was about to head into the next area, but stopped when he saw something in the blinking light. It was a dark figure, swaying with the ship's movement, and with a voice the groaned in agony. It headed in his direction, or what seemed like his direction, making a scuffing sound with it's feet. Kurt looked around the side, seeing it had only gotten farther away from him as it collapsed onto the steps to the upper decks. Rain poured through the open doors, lightning cracking the black skies. And yet he remained, standing in the middle of the hall and gawking with some crazy, questioning expression.

He knew who it was; there was no doubting it with her wrapped fingers that were exposed in the light from outside. What he couldn't quite understand, and what might have deterred him from his conclusion, was that she did not cover her head anymore, but was tearing the sheet into pieces. It appeared as though she was trying to keep her anger under control, staring at the wet wooden floor with her piercing eyes.

As he prepared to take a step, she sudden winced, ripping a big part of the sheet apart.

"Kurt..." she wheezed, going back to the smaller sections again. "I...I can't resist it...Something is d-digging at my head...I got away in time so I can get it slowly through my system..." Victoria looked up at him, Kurt seeing the tears in her almost hateful-looking eyes. "But if you take another step it's all going to be in vain..."

Kurt didn't take that step, but only crouched down, gazing back at her. "Did you do vhat I saw back zere?"

She shrugged. "He was going to shoot me...But hey, I didn't kill him, r-right?" She laughed half-heartedly, shaking her head. "You k-know what it's going to make me do..."

He nodded. "Yes...I understand..."

"I'll give you as much time before my mind is lost..." she stated, and continued in a rasp, "_run_."

Kurt stood up suddenly, jolting down the hall. Victoria could only hold out for a few more seconds before her eyes rolled back, tearing those pieces she had been collecting at once and taking off after him. Even if he transported here and there, staying in the shadows that no normal person would have seen. Then again, she wasn't a normal person, now was she?

His dodging was efficient for the first couple of tries, but as one wrong flip cost him in the same area where he had met her, Victoria tightening her still bloody fingers around his neck. She lifted him up off the ground, Kurt choking and feeling his blood on the back of his tongue. He forced his eye from rolling back, staring directly at her and preparing to speak in his weakness.

"Wictoria," he coughed, digging his nails into her skin to try and help her wake up from this nightmare. "Vake up! Y-you're dreaming! Wictoria, please, don't let it get to you! After all you've done to prevent zis from happening again! Or maybe..." He stopped, thinking for a moment, even if his head felt like a jackhammer in the building pressure. Kurt, in his sudden struck of an idea, suddenly let go, dropping his hands to the side. Even if he was probably going to die, it didn't matter when he knew the one person he had tried to help would commit the one crime she didn't want to...and without even knowing it. "If zis...is it...I just vant to say...zat..." He reached out a shaking hand, putting it on the side of her face. It seemed to touch her deep, but her grip didn't loosen until he said the last he could. "I...believe...in...you..."

Her eyes widened in a sudden twinge of pain, that hate in her melting away to reveal something that had been disguised to her. As she saw the whole picture, her hand loosening to drop him to the ground. Her breathing became heavy, her throat tightening as if she was going to die...and this was not an after affect of the poison she had in her either. She backed away until her back reached the wall, Victoria curling up as she slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face. In his coughing spell, they both just stared at each other, one trying to keep his eyes open and gasping for breath and the other just wanting their eyes to close, trying not to breathe.

But even if this was so, Kurt reached out a hand, taking her shoulder and gathering her to lean forward, holding her in his arms as he patted her back for comfort. She kept saying over and over that she was sorry, that she never intended it to happen, and he just kept on smiling, saying it was okay and that it would all be alright. They would be in Germany soon enough, and from there they would never have to worry about it again.

But what they had soon to learn is that they would never make it to Germany, or even off the dock for that matter...

__

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies

And you bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

They returned to the lower decks awhile later and for the remainder of the trip she did not speak, she did not eat when they broke into one of the crates, and she did not dare stare up and look him in the eyes. He gave her his hat to cover her head with, but did not ask or reply for it to begin with. Even if he asked her to say something, she just gazed at the cold metal floor, her eyes distant. She was abashed for who she was, he could see that, but he didn't understand why. Surely it wasn't he fault for doing what she did, and yet she could not live with that fact that she had done it. Even with the comfort he tried to give, there was nothing that would keep her from being silent.

As the boat rocked less and movement on the upper floors began to increase, and as the door opened to the cargo hold they planned to storm the sailors and get out before they could get arrested. Yet, even if Kurt told her about this, she did not move from her spot. And even as the shouts and screams of the passengers sounded when they broke loose from the small chamber, she remained still, her eyes wide open as if she were a statue. Only when the place had cleared, the area silent except for the echoes outside, did she stand up, Kurt right there next to her. She strode out in front of him, going to the steps to find that there were no crew members in sight, no other mutants to tag along with. Kurt thought he'd just let her go first, knowing to keep an eye on her, but surprisingly she wasn't going anywhere, standing there with her eyes narrow.

"Vhat is it?" he asked.

"Do you hear that?" she said, and he listened, his eyes widening a moment later.

"No...I don't..." he answered, realizing that there wasn't any sounds to be heard.

And then came an earsplitting scream from the silence. Blood sprayed from around the corner, the now ravaged man slipping as he tried to get away. But for a mutant his pathetic life was over as something dragged him back, his screams of terror falling quiet. With a heavy foot a figure emerged, Victoria beginning to shake in horror because of it. The blade the man had for an arm dripped with fresh blood, his black coat wet with the stains. His one robotic eye rotated into focus, his other blue, almost white eye piercing them down. He treaded for them slowly, seeing the fear in both their eyes.

Kurt managed to snap out of it, but Victoria, recognizing him from before, cramped up, her knees locking and collapsing to the floor. Even if Kurt tried to help her up, her terror weighted her down like a ton of bricks. The man kept on coming, and even if she struggled to get up it was no use. But with some quick thinking, Kurt looked off the side and found a spot on the dock that was deserted and where they could hide easily, kneeling and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. With this they both disappeared in a puff of smoke, gone in the blink of an eye.

As Victoria managed to calm down, Kurt helping her to her feet, she finally looked at him, her eyes soft yet frightened, and not for her safety.

"Good, _now_! Before they find you!" she proclaimed in a whisper, trying to push him away.

"Vhat? I'm not-" he started, but she put a hand over his mouth, shaking her head.

"Please, go, run away to Germany and never look back..." she said, but he took her hands, making her continue with a subconscious guilt. "Kurt, you have done me so much, and for it I am more grateful than I can describe. If you stay here with me then they'll capture you, and if that happens to you...I-It just won't." She put her hands on the side of his face, smiling. "I care about you too much for that to happen."

"I von't leave you, Wictoria," he said, shaking his head.

She nodded her head, "I'd thought you'd say something like that. That's...That's why I want you to go ahead of me! If we split up, there's less of a chance they'll find us both! Don't worry, I'll meet up with you later."

He gazed into her eyes, finding no confidence in those words she had spoken. But he could not refuse, for her eyes were already welling in tears and her trembling lips gave the expression of disappointment if he did not leave. So he just smiled, making her brighten with hope, as he nodded, reaching up a hand and putting it behind her head. He tipped her head forward, kissing the top of her head lightly.

"I vill vait for you in Berlin."

"And I'll meet you there," she replied, slipping away as Nightcrawler fell back, disappearing into the darkness. 

She turned, thinking she would find a way out and finally be rid of this place, but she was only greeted with an iron grin, grabbing her frightened body by the collar of her shirt and tossing her across. Where she landed only filled her find in praying they would be merciful. Kurt ended up behind a crate not to far away, the first thing he did being that he searched the area for her. However, what he witnessed only dug down deep into his heart, making him gaze on to what happened next.

The iron man held her arms back to keep her still, a woman with silver nails standing to the side as an old man approached. He had a bread with his hair being gray, wearing glasses that reflected the light of the lampposts down a ways. He approached her with a frown, putting his hands behind his back.

"You've disappointed me for the last time, girl. We gave you a warning and disobedience will be punished. Deathstrike," he said, holding his hand out to the woman. She reached into her belt, handing him a gun. Before Kurt could realize what was to be done, the man held it arms length, arming it and pulling the trigger that would be through her heart.

Time slowed then, a sort of grip being squeezed onto his reality before his heart froze and shattered into a million pieces. He shouted out in pain and anger, running forward in aiming to choke him until he got the answers of why he had done that, but the hurt was too great, and instead he was pulled to her, sliding to his knees and turning her over from where she had fallen face first in the mud. Her eyes were closed, but she still had warmth to her face. It began to sprinkle as a tear came down his cheek, the other mutants realizing what he was doing there out of their confusing and picked him up, dragging him away.

"No, _Wictoria_!" he shouted, struggling to get away, figuring to warp away but was hit on the back of the head, falling unconscious before any of that could happen.

The old man aimed the gun at him as well, but the woman with claws protested, saying that he was a transporter.

He grinned, taking the gun away. "A transporter, huh? Well, I recon he could be mighty useful now can he? Label him as mutant number 108, we'll get the rest of his info later." He turned away as a helicopter rotated its propellers in the distance, the iron mutant picking Kurt up and taking him along with them. Never again would Kurt remember this night, for it was certain they would erase all memory of it, the voyage, and of her. But there was one person who would never forget.

As the dust settled and the air grew still around the docks, a cry of anguish could be heard only briefly if one knew where to look. For there lay Victoria, awoken from where she had hit her head on a rock under the soft earth, and reached into her pocket to find a bullet in the pages of the Bible Kurt had given her. She knew what had happened and understood what was going to happen to him. But somehow she knew he would make it through, just as she had, and with the confidence she had that one day everything would be right, she stood up. Looking to the morning sky she raised her hands up, recalling all that had occurred to her. As he had once helped her, she promised she'd make someone else's better as well. He had saved her from the nothing she was, and saved her from the faded shadow she would've become. Even in the thought that they would wipe out his memories, he was bound to remember something some day, and when he did...

She'd be waiting for him in Berlin...

__

And I don't want the world to see me 

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand 

When everything's made to be broken 

I just want you to know who I am 

And I don't want the world to see me 

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand 

When everything's made to be broken 

I just want you to know who I am 

I just want you to know who I am 

I just want you to know who I am 

I just want you to know who I am


End file.
